Barred Rocks!!!!!!!!! Why are they so mean?

[kerriv]

Sooo,I have named my Barred Rock Tizzy because everytime I go to the coop she goes into a tizzy trying to get to me and will fly into my arms to be held..if I put her down to pay attention to the others she flies right back up..I now ffeed and water chickens with 1 arm ..I also have 3 other Barred Rocks 2 are very calm nice birds 1 is the biggest bully ever she is 7 weeks old and will get right up behind my full grown RIRs and pull feathers completely out and runs like crazy, good thing shes fast too!

 

[fiddleblue]

My Barred Rock is quite docile and friendly. She's not quite as friendly/tame as the Brahmas (I've never found any chickens to be as tame as the Brahmas, Light and Buff Brahmas) but is nearly so. I've handfed her from a chick and she is sweet.

 

[broomrider]

My Barred Rocks are still young and a little afraid. My older one hasn't started laying and you still can't pet her but she's not mean. If she's walking, she's talking. They free range so I'm sure if one gets picked off it will be her! What a chatter box.

 

[Stephanie R]

My Barred Rocks are still young and a little afraid. My older one hasn't started laying and you still can't pet her but she's not mean. If she's walking, she's talking. They free range so I'm sure if one gets picked off it will be her! What a chatter box.

Oh my gosh, my Barred never shuts up. She is constantly clucking or squawking or whining or something. Only at night is she quiet.

 

[chickiechi]

All but a few of my BR chickens are mean. The main issue is with BigGirl. She sneaks up behind me and pecks at me,HARD.

We got all of our chickens at Buckheits.

 

[TwoCrows]

All but a few of my BR chickens are mean. The main issue is with BigGirl. She sneaks up behind me and pecks at me,HARD.

We got all of our chickens at Buckheits.

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Many times in a flock with no rooster, the flock leader hen will assume this role and the can be very mean to you and the other hens. I have a hen like this and in her younger years she was incredibly mean to me, biting me to the point of drawing blood! I use pinless peepers on her on and off for several years and of course disiplined her by grabbing her, holding her down, etc... Over the years she has really mellowed out and no longer is aggressive with me or the others. But those first few years she was a handful!

Good luck with your bird!

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and make sure to give BR's plenty of room. They are a very active breed and need things to do to keep them from picking on each other. Get them outside every day for a few hours, 5 square feet per bird in the coop, 10 square feet per bird in the run. Never crowd them in.

 

[MamaBird12]

oh no! I'm sorry to hear about that! We have 4 BR and they're sweet as can be! We sit in their coop and they interact with us very nicely, hopping up on our shoulders and laps. Do you have an aggressive rooster in that flock? We had an aggressive rooster of a different breed once and because he was aggressive, his hens were aggressive. As soon as we got the rooster out of there, his hens were sweet as can be.
I wonder if your breeder just bred a "bad" flock..?

 

[slordaz]

I have a Barred Rock rooster and 4 hens in a mixed flock and they are sweet as can be other than the rooster he is another story all together but great at protecting his hens, other than the youngest who got picked on a lot, and she's only an issue when it's to cold to get out and free range. We raised them from 2 day old fuzzballs .

They have been tolerant even when I take out the new chicks to visit for a bit, 2 want to keep the babies but being winter not gonna happen as 1 is 3 weeks old and the other are 5 days old, one I am having more issues and have to watch is the white leghorn, but even she is getting used to them going out to visit

 

[Will02]

We have one Barred Rock along with a Cornish Cross and Rhode Island Reds. If they are in a flock of all Barred Rocks they will become mean. But if you have just one in a flock with other breeds it will be nice.